Estel Gets a Nurse
by ScribeofHeroes
Summary: Estel is getting a nurse, and he doesn't want one!
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own any of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, characters, or the locations his stories take place in. This story is for entertainment purposes only. **

**By the popular demand of Nonahira, because I'm a sucker for the request of even one reviewer, I have gone ahead and reposted this story before posting all of its prequel. I only accidently took it down when I meant to delete something else anyway. My reasons for writing and posting it in the first place remain as follows.**

**So my readers don't think that my idea of young Estel (Aragorn) had a completely depressing childhood, I am introducing my first OC. I hope you will all love her as much as I do. Please enjoy this fluff piece! :) **

"I think he's hiding, Ada."

"Hiding?" Elrond asked, glaring at the twins he had sent to fetch their younger brother. Elrond glanced at the elleth beside him. His dark eyes were sharp with shame beneath their bushy, furrowed brows. The elleth was smiling back at him with twinkling green eyes. Elrond turned back to his sons.

"You know he wasn't happy about getting a nurse," Elladan added from his brother's side.

"Well, go find him!" Elrond commanded.

"There is no need, Lord Elrond." The elleth broke in softly.

The Lord of the house and his sons stared at her. She chuckled as she continued. "I can sense a child's presence from three miles away. I will go and find him."

"I have yet to introduce you two." Elrond stated.

"I can introduce myself." The elleth replied.

The twins stifled a chuckle. How flippant these silvin servants were and this one was staying in their house for years.

Elrond sighed and reminded himself this servant, "nurse," would be good for his son. He continued in a weary voice. "I have certain instructions I want to re-give Estel when he meets you."

"If you do," the elleth replied, "it will confirm all the fears he has of me."

Elrond's brows flew upwards and this time a chuckle really did escape from each of his twins. "How do you know this?" The Lord of Imladris asked.

"I know children, I can sense him from here, and I have met you." The servant explained.

"Finding him myself should be fun and the perfect way for us to meet, I think. Do you trust my judgment?"

Elrond sighed and asked, "Is he well and safe where you sense him?"

The silvin nodded in full confidence. "He is quite healthy, but he is afraid. I don't sense any, but good and safe things surrounding him. If any of that changes I will find him more promptly and remove him most quickly."

Elrond sighed again and nodded. "You have my permission to go find Estel, on your own."

"Thank you, Lord Elrond," the elleth replied with laughing eyes. She turned and strode away through the halls with a bright grin upon her face. Elrond turned and gave one of his twin son's a look. Elladan gave a grin almost as bright as the elleth's and nodded. A few moments later, he was following the elleth at a discreet distance.

. . .

"Hello there."

Estel's head spun around. He was sitting on top of a small boulder in some tall grass of a field used to grow hay for the horses of the household to eat during the winter months. The tall walls of fragrant green grass taller than him made him feel safe and a little lonely. Staying here was far better than being where he knew he was supposed to be.

He hadn't thought any would find him here. Now he was facing the smiling face of an elleth he had never seen. That didn't surprise him much.

After spending a whole year in Rivendell, he knew how quiet elves were, even when walking through tall grass. He had also seen many elves he had never met before come and go from the Last Homely House, some from other places in the valley and some from Mirkwood and Loth Lorien. It didn't occur to him that no one but him should have been occupying the lonely field. The elleth looked nice enough, but she was still a stranger.

"Hi . . ." the manling responded nervously, wondering if she would tell his Ada where he was.

The elleth sank down beside him and whispered quietly in his ear. _"What are we doing?"_

_"__Hiding," _Estel answered. He studied the elleth, surprised that she seemed so interested in him. No strangers were ever interested in him. Though he imagined the one he was hiding from would be _very_ interested in him.

_"__Who are we hiding from?" _The elleth whispered back.

_"__My Ada and the new nurse," _Estel answered.

_"__Are they very terrible?" _The elleth asked with wide, green eyes.

Estel's brown face scrunched up in though. "Ada can be," he murmured.

"What about the new nurse?" The elleth asked.

Estel nodded with confidence. "She's a servant."

The elleth's eyebrows rose and the corner of her mouth that was hidden from the manling quirked up a bit.

"Are servants terrible?"

"Servants don't like me," Estel replied. "And they're boring."

"They are?"

"When they watch me, they never play with me, they just watch me play by myself."

"Well that's no fun."

"This one will watch me all the time! And ada says I must do whatever she says and always be polite and never go out of her sight, ever!"

"Dreadful!"

"I don't want a nurse. Why do I have to have a nurse? Why can't Ada, Rohir, Eldan, Glorfdel, and Erstor watch me? They play with me. They don't give me candy and ask me to leave!"

Instead of smiling at the childish pronunciation of the names of the most important elves in Imladris, the elleth half scowled-half and half-pouted at Estel's last statement.

"Well, that _is_ rude." She huffed. "I never give candy to children and ask them to leave."

Estel turned to look at the elleth. "You don't?"

"No. I give them candy and ask them to stay!"

Estel's eyes brightened. "Do you have candy now?"

The elleth's cross look left her as she smiled again. "Yes, would you like to have a piece with me?"

"Yes please!" The manling exclaimed politely.

The elleth smiled, sat up, and dug two golden pieces of candy from her dress pocket. She handed one to Estel and popped the other into her own mouth.

Estel put his into his mouth. Around the golden lump he said, "I like you."

"I like you too," the elleth replied.

As Estel rolled his piece of candy around in his mouth, his eyes grew round. "This tastes like the candy Legolas gives me!"

"Does it?"

He nodded. "I like Legolas' candy."

"You seem to like a great many things," the elleth commented. "What else do you like?"

So the manling and elleth talked about all the things they liked. They discovered they had many of these things in common. Estel eventually left his hiding place and took her on a tour of his home. He pointed out all the things he had mentioned in his list of things he liked. They picked a few strawberries together. They also visited the kitchens. There they got a few things to eat from the kitchen staff who looked with slight interest at the silvin elleth, guessing who she was and not knowing Estel had not.

Eventually, Estel spotted his father walking toward them, some distance away. He darted behind the elleth. He stayed there even as he sensed his Ada drawing closer and his doom with him.

"Did you ever find your new charge, Mellolaes?" Estel heard his father's deep, serious voice ask.

"Yes, I did." She brightly replied. "I met your youngest son and he has been showing me all around his beautiful home. I like him very much."

"Good," Elrond replied and then asked, "Is this true Estel?"

Estel came out from behind his new friend and faced the elf lord. "Ada . . ?"

"Yes, Estel?"

"Can Mel-lo-laes," Estel pronounced the name he had just heard carefully with his small mouth. "Can Mellolaes be my nurse?"

Elrond's gaze softened and he crouched down across from his youngest son, folding his body up tightly and bending his back double to meet the grey eyes in the small, brown face. "Would you like that, ion nin?"

Estel nodded so fast he created a breeze. "Oh yes! She never asks me to leave, and she likes all sorts of things I do, and she's lots of fun, and she likes me! Please Ada! Please, please, please!"

Elrond smiled at his son and raised his eyes to the elleth. She was grinning down triumphantly at him.

"Would you agree to watch over and play with my treasured son, Mellolaes Merilvaidian?"

"Yes, Estel and I have become great friends. I would be honored to be his nurse."

Estel gazed up at the elleth with an open mouth. "You're my friend?"

"Yes, Estel. I consider you a very good friend of mine now. "Am I your friend?"

"Yes, oh yes! Can my friend Melloloaes be my nurse Ada?! Please?!"

Elrond smiled widely and rose to his full height. "Yes, yes she may, my son."

"Yay! Come on Laes, I want to show you my room!"

As Estel began to pull his new friend along behind him, he paused and turned back to his Ada. "Will you tell the other nurse "sorry" for me Ada? Rohir and Eldan said she came from awful far away to be my nurse."

"I think she will understand, Estel," Elrond called back.

Satisfied, Estel began to pull Mellolaes along behind him again. As he did, she shot Elrond a bright grin over her shoulder. He smiled bemusedly back. Yes, his new nurse would be very good for Estel indeed.

**Reviews are much appreciated and usually responded to. Also, if you enjoyed this piece you might enjoy its prequel "Why Estel Got a Nurse," which you can find on my profile page. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own any of the places or characters created by J. R. R. Tolkien including Arda, Rivendell, Lord Elrond, and Estel/Aragorn. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes only so please read and be entertained. **

That evening, Mellolaes carried Estel back to Rivendell from the fields and woods they'd played in. He was covered in dirt and dry bits of grass and leaves. Elrond grimaced from where he watched. The servants would not like cleaning all that off the floors of the hallways and Estel's bedroom and bathroom.

Elrond had kept an ear out ever since the new nurse had gone in search of his son. He'd heard many squeals of excitement from Estel that day, but none of distress. Elrond now listened to what both nurse and child were singing.

"The sun goes down.

The shade creeps in.

The sun lovers

They go to bed.

The star lovers

Come out again.

Our father's song

Plays without end.

Our father's song

Plays without end."

"I want to stay up with you!" Estel broke off.

"Nay little one," Mellolaes laughed. "Manlings are creatures of the sun. And if you fall asleep for me, I shall sing you the rest of the song."

Estel's brows furrowed at the offer. He leaned his head against Mellolaes' shoulder as he thought on it. Elrond smiled at the sign the manling was already tired. As Estel leaned into her, Mellolaes wrapped her arms more tightly around him. She began to sing more softly, and still more sweetly.

"The air is cool,

My hold is warm.

So snuggle down,

into my arms.

When yours' have grown

Both great and strong

They will protect

Thy friends from harm."

Estel's eyes closed as Me0llolaes sang on.

"When sunlight fades

And sky grows dim

Darkness creeps out

From shadows' grim,

But just look up

And you will find

A thousand lights

The first to shine

May the stars' fill

Your dreams with light

May you rest well

Beneath their sight

When day returns

Raise up your head

Find yourself strong

And leap from bed

Greet the morning

with joyous song.

Fear no darkness

It stays not long.

Our father's song

Plays on and on

Our father's song

Plays on and on."

Elrond walked up to meet them. Mellolaes smiled at the Lord of Imladris. The Lord of Imladris smiled back, and then turned his gaze upon the lax form breathing deeply in her arms.

"Very good, but he is asleep before he has been bathed."

"Does he need to be?"

"He'll get dirt and leaves in his bed if he's tucked into it this way."

"Ah, but tonight is perfect for sleeping beneath the stars."

Elrond's eye widened. He stared at the elleth. "You wish Estel to sleep outside? He is a manling, not a silvan elfling."

"I know, but the night is warm. I will stay with him, and make sure he both remains safe and does not become chilled."

Elrond stared at his son in thought. He was sleeping peacefully indeed. Disturbing him now would be regretful. However, cold and damp air could have damaging effects on the health of manlings, but then this elleth was a healer. She vowed to watch over him, but how much experience did she really have with manlings, and their delicate health? Mellolaes broke into his thoughts, and almost made him wonder if she could possibly be one of the wise.

"You think me incapable of this simple task, Lord Elrond?"

Elrond met the elleth's green eyes. On the surface they were gentle, but in their dark centers flashed something irate, dangerous, and very Silvan. Seeing this coupled with a false smile Elrond once again questioned the wisdom of retaining her services.

"Manlings are more susceptible to illness than the offspring of any other members of the free people."

"I assure you, Lord Elrond, I know how delicate the bodies of manlings are. I have tended many in Dale and Laketown who were suffering from broken bones, colds, cuts, and plagues. I saw death take some no matter what I did. However, Estel's health is currently excellent, and too much coddling only makes manlings more delicate. You want Estel to be strong, do you not?"

Elrond sighed. He had noticed the phenomenon she'd mentioned himself with Estel's ancestors. No, he should not repeat certain mistakes with Estel.

"He will need a blanket and a bedroll."

The silvan giggled. Elrond looked at her quizzically. The elleth met his gaze, her eyes laughing at him. "He can use mine."

Elrond nodded. "I will send for it." Elrond went back inside and sent a servant for the bedroll he'd sent for Estel's new nurse. Mellolaes continued to hold and sing softly to the manling as she stood waiting outside the house. Elrond returned with the servant and bedroll and watched as the latter unrolled and prepared the bed for his son. Mellolaes' eyebrows rose in amusement.

_He is the worst parent at hovering I have ever seen._

While the servant made the bed Elrond gazed at it with furrowed brows. "Mellolaes, did you sleep in this bedroll on your way here?"

The elleth shrugged. "Nay, but I aired it out every day of the trip."

Elrond sighed. He supposed he should have realized a bedroll would go unused by a silvan. Still, not sending it if she'd wanted it would have been worse. Mellolaes herself tucked Estel in under the somewhat regretful eyes of Lord Elrond. Before rising to her feet, she smiled up at the elven lord.

"You should give him your usual goodnight kiss."

Elrond wondered how after millennia of being famous for keeping dwarves, men, elves, and wizards from reading his face, this elleth could know every thought in his head. He was beginning to think of sending word to Galadriel and Gandalf about it. He knelt down beside the bedroll, brushed back some of Estel's dark hair and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Good night, ion nin." Elrond studied the manling from where he knelt for a few minutes, then stood and studied just as carefully the warm, summer night surrounding them, before turning and walking back to the house.

"I will watch over him carefully. Have no fear."

Elrond turned back toward the elleth, a slight blush of color on his cheeks. "I will leave you to the task then."

Mellolaes watched him go, still smiling to herself.

_He is going to come out and check on us at least three times tonight. _

. . .

Elrond checked in on them four times that night. The first two times he found Mellolaes sitting, singing, and working on a bit of sewing. Both times Elrond found Estel resting most comfortably. The third time he went to check on them, the Lord of Imladris found the nurse as sound asleep as the manling. Unlike the usual sleeping position of an elf though, Mellolaes was sleeping on her side, one arm pillowing her head and the other thrown around Estel, who lay with his back to her. The child appeared to have snuggled backwards into her. As Elrond stared at this scene, Estel stirred and groaned softly. Without a change in her glazed over, open eyes, Mellolaes loosened her grip and pulled slightly away from her charge before resettling herself. Estel gave a sigh of contentment, stretched a little and then resettled and re-snuggled back against his nurse. Elrond smiled, and turned back to walk to and reenter the house.

**When I reposted this story after accidentally taking it down, I forgot to mark it as complete. Afterwards, a dear reviewer asked me if I was going to continue it. I thought about and found ideas for writing about the first days of Mellolaes looking after Estel, so I am. **

**Reviews are much appreciated, and often responded to. Plus as you can tell from reading above, they often affect my writing and posting.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I neither created nor own Elrond, Estel/Aragorn, Glorfindel, Erestor, Elrohir, Elladan, Rivendell, Imladris, Elbereth,** **Eärendil, Rivendell., or Middle Earth. I did create Mellolaes! :) This story is strictly for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.**

An hour before the horizon began to turn grey Elrond returned for the fourth time and found Mellolaes awake. Estel was sleeping with the blanket pulled up a little further around him. Mellolaes ceased softly singing long enough to speak to her employer.

_"__I believe he will be waking soon."_

Elrond nodded as he replied in a whisper. _"Very good, I believe you were correct in your assumptions. Estel seems to have suffered no ill effects from sleeping outside."_ The elven lord then glanced from the boy to his nurse. _"He will need a bath, and to be redressed for the day before he joins me for breakfast this morning."_

Mellolaes smiled and nodded without looking up from her work. _"Yes, Lord Elrond." _

Elrond kept his gaze upon her after she said this, so she finally looked up to meet it. The elf was trying to look grave, but had a sparkle of amusement in his dark eyes. _"Estel tends to make a fuss when he is bathed."_

Mellolaes smiled and looked back to her sewing. _"Legolas informed me of that."_

Elrond's eyebrows rose. _"Did he?"_

_"__Yes, I have a strategy in place."_

Elrond smiled as he replied. _"I look forward to learning how it worked."_

. . .

Estel awoke a half hour after his ada returned to the house. The boy sat up, yawned, blinked in confusion, and glanced from side to side.

"Why am I outside? Why is it still dark?"

Mellolaes chuckled, laid aside her sewing, and turned toward her charge. "You slept outside tonight, Estel."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did."

Estel smiled. "Glorfindel, Elrohir, and Elladan sleep outside lots when they're away. I want to be just like them! Why is it still dark?"

"You fell asleep very early and so have awakened very early."

Estel paused to recall exactly what he last remembered. Then he frowned while crossing his arms. "But I like to stay up late! I didn't want to fall asleep!"

"You want to see the stars before the sun arises, don't you Estel?"

Estel scowled at his nurse from beneath furrowed brows without answering. Not meeting his eyes, Mellolaes put down her sewing, and strolled out from under the branches of the tree that had been their shelter that night. The elleth looked up into the sky. She gave a soft cry, and then pointed toward the west.

"Look Estel! Your grandfather's ship is about to travel behind the mountains on its way to the Undying lands!"

"Where! Where!" Estel leapt to his feet and pelted over to stand behind the elleth. She knelt, picked the child up, and pointed Eärendil out to him. The child shouted while waving at the dot of light.

"Hi ada's ada!"

Mellolaes winced. "Ooo! Estel, be careful not to shout or speak so loud near another's ear!"

Estel turned his head to look at her. "Sorry. Do you think he heard me?"

"If he did not, I'm sure Elbereth will tell him you said hello. It is said she can hear even our faintest of whispers here."

_"__Like this . . ." _the child whispered into her still ringing ear.

"I believe so."

_"__Please tell Ada's ada hi for me, Elbereth!" _Estel whispered towards the west.

Mellolaes smiled. "Would you like to see the other stars Elbereth sprinkled over the sky for us, manling?"

"Yes please!"

Mellolaes carried the manling about and pointed out the constellations to him. As she did, they began to fade. Seeing this, Mellolaes took Estel to the top of a hill that overlooked the east. Estel's jaw dropped as they watched the sun rise over the mountains.

"I like waking up early, Melly!"

Mellolaes laughed, both at his announcement and new title for her. She had been "Laes" yesterday, but children might give someone they just met a few names before settling on one. Besides, she knew five other elves whose names could be shortened to "Laes," including one both she and Estel knew.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a telling sound, a brief, soft gurgle coming from the belly of her charge. The noise also caught Estel's attention. He glanced down at his tummy, and then up at his nurse.

"I'm hungry Melly!"

"So I note," she laughed. Then the elleth lifted her nose into the air and sniffed. She glanced to their right. "I think I know just what will help with that."

. . .

Just over a hill to their right was a glade covered in clusters of leaves atop long stems sticking up from runners that went every which way. Peeking out from beneath these leaves were fruits, from the size of sparrow eggs to nearly chicken egg sized, and from a shade of yellow-green, to white, to pink, to bright red.

"Strawberries!" Estel exclaimed.

Mellolaes and Estel washed their hands in a nearby stream. The elleth could feel, smell, taste, and hear that the water was worthy of such trust. She had heard it would be so throughout the valley.

Then they began to devour the wild, ripe fruits until red smears covered their lips and hands. As the sun fully emerged from behind the mountains, Mellolaes encouraged a sated Estel to return to the house.

_That should hold him until breakfast with his family, and before then I most definitely have to give him a bath._

**Reviews are greatly appreciated and often responded to! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I neither created nor own Elrond, Estel/Aragorn, Glorfindel, Erestor, Elrohir, Elladan, Rivendell, Imladris, ****Rivendell, or Middle Earth. I did create Mellolaes! :) This story is strictly for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.**

**I would like to thank Saphira who writes such encouraging reviews I cannot directly respond to. Thanks mellon nin. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

Estel's eyes nearly flew from his head when Mellolaes carried him into his private bathroom where he spied the tub and buckets three buckets filed with steaming water. He threw his arms around the elleth's neck and cried out, "I don't want a bath!"

"But if you don't take a bath, you can't play with my bath toy," Mellolaes chirruped.

"Bath toy?"

"Haven't you ever played with bath toys before?"

Estel shook his head. Mellolaes placed the grubby child near the edge of the wide, but shallow, sunken tub. Estel stared up at the elleth while sucking on a finger that still had a hint of strawberry taste to it. Mellolaes reached into one of her many pockets and pulled out a string with a small, perfect model of a fish upon it. Estel ran his fingers over its green and yellow scales of some shiny, translucent material that also covered the spines of mithril in the long fins as thin as paper.

Mellolaes tossed the small bobble into the tub where it landed with a plunk. The fish sank, but remained perfectly visible in the clear water. The elleth began to pull on the string, drawing the fish back upwards. Water flowed through the fish's open mouth and into toy. Like magic the fins flared out and the tail waved back and forth.

Estel's eyes widened. He pulled his finger out of his mouth as his jaw fell open. Mellolaes smiled down at him. "Would you like to try?"

Soon Estel's dirt-stained, and grass and twig strewn clothes were lying on the marble floor. Estel himself was sitting down in warm water up to his shoulders, pulling the string so that the fish would swim to him. He laughed at the way he made it swim like a real fish.

Behind her charge, Mellolaes quietly gathered together a bottle, a bar of soap, and a washcloth. She approached and crouched behind him just as silently, but as she placed the things she'd gathered down beside her, the bottle's bottom clinked against the hard marble. Estel's arms flew up to cover his head. "No!"

Mellolaes dunked the washcloth into the bucket of clean water nearby. "No what?"

"No washing my hair!"

Mellolaes calmly rubbed the damp washcloth over the bar of soap. "Well, I'm not going to start with your hair. I'm going to start . . ." She rubbed the cloth over Estel's armpit, "here!" Mellolaes also gently ran tapping fingers over the bare skin beneath his other arm. Estel squealed and dropped his arms, before falling into giggles. In the same way Mellolaes scrubbed clean the rest of his skin.

When she was down with this she whispered in his ear, "Can you be brave for me Estel?"

"How?!" The boy asked, turning around, and tilting his head up to look at the elleth.

"Can you close your eyes and mouth, pinch your nose, and hold your breath while I pour water over you. It's like being deep under dark water, and that can feel scary sometimes."

"I can be brave!"

"All right do it just like this." Mellolaes pinched her nose, scrunched her eyes shut, took a deep breath and held it so that her cheeks puffed out. Estel did the same. The elleth grabbed the first bucket and poured it over the child's head. After the water was not streaming down his hair and face as much, the child tried to speak without opening his mouth.

"Can I stop yet?"

"Yes, you may let go of your nose, so you can breathe through it and an open mouth, but it might be best if you keep your eyes closed." Estel did these things, releasing his breath and then sucking in a few more. Then he heard the clink of the bottle being picked up. His eyes flew open. He covered his head with his arms again.

"No!"

"But Estel, you can't get out of the tub until I wash your hair, and if you don't get out of the tub, you can't see your ada, brothers, Glorfindel, or Erestor, and you can't tell them about sleeping outside, or seeing the stars and sunrise, or eating the strawberries, or making the bath toy swim to you."

Estel lowered his arms. He sat and contemplated, "but," his childish voice uttered, "it hurts."

"You know what my nanneth, and I did so she wouldn't hurt me when she washed my hair?"

"What?"

I would sing while she washed my hair, and when she pulled my hair so that it hurt, I stopped. She'd take her hands away. I'd start singing again when it stopped hurting, and she'd be gentler as she began once more. If she hurt me again, I'd stop singing again. She'd stop, when I began to sing for the third time, she'd continue still more gently. May I sing you the song we used?"

Estel nodded and listened to Mellolaes sing while the water cooled, and staying in it became less pleasant.

"What will my nanneth find in my hair?

What in her scrubbing will she find there?

I've raced through meadows, and climbed up in trees.

I've lain down in the grass, and rolled through the leaves.

I've sung with the birds, and played with the beasts.

So will she find feathers, will she find fur?

Will she untangle a twig, or untangle a burr?

Oh how many leaves, and how many seeds,

Have I gathered in from the grass, and the trees?

What treasure have I brought into the bathtub with me?

I dug in the sand and swam in the lake.

What things from the water and shore did I take?

Will she find pebbles along with the sand?

Will a pretty shell fall into her hands?

What did my hair gather from the water and land?

When my hair is rinsed from its scrub,

What shall sink down to the bottom of our tub?

When my hair tells my nanneth of where I have been

And she has washed my hair all clean again,

The tub will be taken outside and all in

my hair will be made part of Arda again.

When she was through Mellolaes asked, "Can you sing it, Estel?"

Estel began to sing the song, Mellolaes singing with him when he erred or forgot what came next. "Would you like to try my and my Nanneth's trick Estel? You sing the song well enough to. You can sing, 'What will Mellolaes fin in my hair.'"

Estel nodded. He started to sing, and the elleth poured a few drops of the liquid out of the bottle and into her hands. She then began to massage it into Estel's scalp and throughout his hair. The child only stopped singing once. Mellolaes stopped and began more gently. Estel started singing again.

He got to be brave again as Mellolaes rinsed his hair. Afterwards, he was pulled out and dried off in the soft, fluffy, pastel-yellow towel, while he and Mellolaes continued to sing. She carried him into his own bedroom, shining to the eyes and sweet to the nose.

. . .

The most respected elves in Rivendell were gathered around the breakfast table. The food had not been brought out yet, nor had the smallest member of their party arrived. The only blonde elf among them turned to his Lord. "And he wasn't bathed yet?"

"No," Elrond answered with a shake of his head, right before taking a sip of his water.

"I never understood why the manling fusses so much when he is bathed," Erestor commented.

"You would have had to have visited his father's household after the child was born and before he came here."

The other elves gave the Lord of Imladris wide eyed stares. "Ada!" Elrohir exclaimed, "surely they did not . . ."

Elrond gave a dismissive wave of his hand to his son. "Of course not Elrohir, but humans do not bathe as regularly as elves, and the Dunedaine of the north in particular have fallen down in the practice. When they do bathe, hardworking humans like the water hot to soothe their aching, tight muscles. When the weather is uncomfortably warm, they let the water stay as cold as it was when it came from the well or creek. When his human nanneth bathed him, Estel was dunked into water that was uncomfortably hot or cold for him. Since he fussed loudly at this, she then cleaned him with hurried, firm, calloused hands. She attempted to be gentle and speak soothingly, but did not always succeed. By the time he came to us the damage was done."

"So how does this 'Mellolaes' plan to handle the situation," Erestor asked.

"She informed me that she had a 'strategy,'" Elrond replied.

Elladan gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Elrond's sharp eyes flashed toward his eldest son. "Did I say something humorous, Elladan?"

"No, Ada, I was only thinking, perhaps her strategy is not giving him a bath at all."

Elrond's eyes flew open. The rest of him became as still as the chair he sat in. Erestor turned on the younger elf with the air of one giving a lecture.

"Do not be ridiculous, she cannot dress him in clean clothes while he is still dirty, and she cannot for a moment be considering bringing him before us still wearing the garbs we clothed him in yesterday!"

Erestor continued to stare at Elladan and his brother. Elrohir looked up at the steward and shrugged. "She changed into a clean outfit to arrive in without bathing. She presented herself to all of you for the first time that way."

All the elves fell still again for three seconds. Then Elrond leapt from his chair, and flew out of the room, across the hall, and up the stairs. Glorfindel chuckled at his Lord's undignified exit. The twins looked like they wished they were brave enough to join him, Erestor glared at them all.

**Since there is a brief mention of Estel's mother in this chapter, I should acknowledge the fact that in the canon she would be in Rivendell looking after Estel himself. Sadly, I did not realize this when I began writing these stories. In my AU she did not accompany him. So, the elven race is on their own with raising Estel, though Gandalf may pop in, and visit with him once in a while.**

**Reviews are much appreciated and often responded to. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I neither created nor own Elrond, Estel/Aragorn, Glorfindel, Erestor, Elrohir, Elladan, Rivendell, Imladris, Elbereth,** **Eärendil, Rivendell., or Middle Earth. I did create Mellolaes! :) This story is strictly for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.**

Mellolaes stepped into her charge's bedroom. Estel was now clean. She herself still had twigs, grass, and dirt on her clothes. So, Mellolaes had wrapped the manling in a towel, and then draped another over the arm she held him with and the shoulder his head leaned against. She wished to give the sharp-eyed elves of Rivendell no reason to doubt her judgment.

The elleth glanced about her charge's room before pulling open a few drawers, then stepping across the room to the wardrobe and throwing back its doors. Some garments were obviously finer than others. Mellolaes placed one hand on her hip, as she paused to think.

She had dressed elflings, even other manlings, hundreds of times, but she never had dressed the adopted son of Lord Elrond for breakfast with said Lord of Rivendell, his other sons, his steward, and the famous Balrog slayer. How well dressed did Estel need to be when he had breakfast with the elves who had the highest positions in the realm, but were also those who loved him best? She turned a smile upon the manling himself.

"What do you usually wear to breakfast, Estel?"

"Clothes!" The boy cheerfully replied.

Mellolaes laughed. Before she could ask the child to elaborate, the door to the hall flew open. Lord Elrond himself stood in the doorway. His eyes fixed themselves upon his son. Estel's scrubbed face broke into a wide grin.

"Ada!"

Elrond's shoulders slumped in relief. Mellolaes grinned while holding in a snort. What had the elven lord had been afraid of? As she wondered this, a burst of relief and inspiration passed through the elleth.

"Lord Elrond, you are just in time! Would you mind dressing Estel this first morn, before I take that privilege from you?"

Elrond was so grateful to find his youngest child both cheerful _and_ clean he took the manling without a word. Estel was placed on his bed by Elrond, who then strode from closet to dresser gathering shirts, pants, shoes, undershirts, underwear, and socks. As soon as his ada had taken him from his nurse, Estel had begun to recount his day in a rather jumbled manner, starting nowhere in particular and continuing on to whatever leapt foremost into his young mind.

"Know what ada? I waved to Eärendil and said 'hi!' Mellolaes said Elbereth would tell him so! And the toy fish really swims! And I slept outside just like Glorfindel, Elladan, and Elrohir! And I ate strawberries! I ate a million of them! And I'm still hungry! Does that mean I'm going to grow to be as tall as Glorfindel? I woke up early today! I saw the sunrise! Ada, why does it always rise in the east? Can I sleep outside every night? Can I eat strawberries every day? I learned a new song for washing hair, ada! I stop singing when Mellolaes pulls my hair, so she knows it hurts! Then she stops and washes it gentler. The song goes like this."

Estel launched into the song, which became slightly muffled as the undershirt was pulled over his head. Elrond glanced up from his son's cloth-covered head to meet the elleth's eyes. They were watching closely with lights dancing in their dark centers. A wide grin was spread beneath them. Elrond finished dressing his son, and ran a brush over the boy's dark curls, before he picked him up. The elf nodded gravely towards the elleth.

"My thanks Merilvaidian, your services have been exceptional thus far."

The elleth curtsied as she replied. "They have been pleasant duties for me, Lord Elrond. Your son is an exceptional charge."

Lord Elrond nodded again, turned, and strode towards the door. Estel peered over the elf's shoulder at his nurse. "Are you going to eat breakfast with us, Melly?"

The elleth shook her head, "The strawberries were my breakfast Estel, but I will see you soon."

. . .

Elrond carried his chattering son to the dining room. As soon as Estel came within sight of his other four, favorite elves, he started recounting the events of his day all over again. When the food came the manling tried to stuff it into his mouth while continuing his one sided conversation. The elves constantly broke in to remind him to chew and swallow before speaking. Otherwise they listened in silence except for the rare occasion they answered one of the manling's questions before he could go on. At the end of the meal, Elrond sent Elrohir upstairs with Estel to start the manling's lessons. The other elves stayed behind in contemplative silence.

"Well," Erestor began, "it seems the new nurse is quite a success."

"I believe so," Elrond agreed.

"Especially considering he was hiding from her last morning," Glorfindel laughed. After taking, chewing, and swallowing another bite of toast, the ancient warrior raised his gaze towards his lord. "Tending the child's needs will be her only duties?"

Elrond nodded back to him, "Aye."

"How much time does she want off?" Elladan asked.

"She has not yet spoken of it," Elrond replied, his eyes piercing into his eldest son's.

Elladan broke eye contact with his father to stare unseeingly at what remained on his plate. The other three elves also fell silent

"Well," Glorfindel declared rising to his feet. He took a final drink from his glass before setting it down and looking up with a dark smile, "it is time I go forth, and put the fear of the Vallar into the soldiers of Imladris."

Elladan got up as well his face long as he stared down at his feet, "Since I am one of the latter, it is my duty to follow and allow you to do so."

Erestor stood while glaring at the stairs. "I shall see to it that Elrohir is properly educating my pupil."

The steward strutted out of the room purposefully. _His_ duties in regard to the manling were not yet taken from him by a silvan nurse. The other elves watched in amusement.

Elrond smiled with gentle jealousy at his steward's back. Feeling eyes upon him, he glanced upwards into the sympathetic grin of Glorfindel. The warrior nodded to his lord, and then strode from the room.

Elladan followed his captain out with sagging shoulders and bowed head. Elrond chuckled. If he even suggested to Elladan that he _not_ train with the Balrog-Slayer, the younger elf would throw a tantrum that would make Estel's bath stubbornness seem submissive.

Elrond took a sip of his wine while thinking. He would have to remember to congratulate Mellolaes on the success of her strategy. Why had he never thought of bath toys and signals for pulled hair himself?

**Reviews are deeply appreciated and often responded to. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I neither created nor own Middle Earth, Imladris, Rivendell, Estel/Aragorn, Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor, Elrohir, or Elladan. I did create Mellolaes! ****J****This story is strictly for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained. **

In spite of the capability of Elrond and Glorfindel, Erestor guarded his position as Estel's teacher like dragons guard gold. Elrond and Glorfindel only taught Estel on days Erestor absolutely could not put off his other responsibilities long enough to do so. The steward tolerated this.

On one occasion the twins had volunteered to jointly teach their little brother while Esrestor, their father, and their captain were engaged in other important tasks. Upon hearing of this the steward of Imladris finished his work as fast as he could and went to take back his classroom. He walked in on the identical elves rubbing chalk dust into Estel and each others' hair.

The twins were flabbergasted when they were afterwards each granted one day to teach their brother, separately. Glorfindel had stood under the classroom window while Elladan educated his little brother. Elrond had stood outside the door and down the hall during Elrohir's turn. Erestor had been kept far away during both their turns. Elrohir had done fine. Elladan had been removed by Glorfindel halfway through. In spite of Elrohir's private success his joint failure still stained him as an instructor in Erestor's eyes.

So, Erestor was relieved to hear Estel reciting the alphabet as he walked down the hall toward their classroom. The steward waited to open the door until Estel finished his recitation. When the door swung open, the heads of both the substitute teacher and student turned to him.

"Hi, Erstor!" Estel chimed.

Elrohir grinned like an elfling whose hand had _not _been caught in the cookie jar, as he bowed his head and said, "Greetings Erestor. You are to be congratulated. I believe Estel now knows his alphabet perfectly."

Erestor nodded, "So, I heard." He stepped up and beamed down at his small pupil. "Well done, Elrondion." Estel beamed back at his teacher. The steward turned his attention to the parchments sitting beside the manling. "Are these your number drawings?"

"Uh-huh!" The child held up each parchment, all of which had two distinct . . . somethings scrawled on them, and held them up in turn toward the elf. "See! It's two horses, two swords, and my brothers!"

Erestor nodded gravely. "I see. Did you create all of these with your own three hands?"

"No!"

Erestor's eyebrows rose. "And why not?"

"Because I only have two!" Estel raised both of his hands high in the air, with a wide grin on his face. Erestor had tested his student thus on many occasions in order to teach him the vitally important lessons of listening carefully, catching others' self-contradictions, and respectfully disagreeing. The child seemed to be learning them well. Apparently, leaving his pupil in the hands of Elrohir for a quarter of an hour had not set the manling's education back several class sessions.

Erestor glanced up at Elrohir and tried to decide whether the young man or the young elf had the smuggest expression. The steward turned his attention back to the manling. "You have most certainly grasped the concept of two, Estel," he proclaimed while lightly clapping the small pupil on the back. "Now," the elf continued while picking up a clean piece of parchment, "can you make the letter 'ando' for me?"

Estel picked up the hunk of charcoal. His brows furrowed in concentration as he first drew the stem, and then the double curves. When he was finished, the manling held his work up toward both elves. "Here!"

"Excellent work, Estel," The older elf proclaimed. His chest was more extended than usual, as was Elrohir's. "Did you play your notes on the harp?"

Elrohir broke in with a nod. "He had a little trouble with G, but found it within three tries."

Erestor nodded. Estel always found C without fail, but G was not as easy for him, at least he no longer plucked the string too hard anymore. The manling on his mind broke into his thoughts.

"Can I watch my brothers and Glorfdel spar now?"

Erestor stood up, stretched up to his full height, and made his face as long and grim as he could before replying.

"Yes, you may."

Estel jumped up and down while cheering. On his third hop he was picked up by his older brother and placed on the young elf's shoulders. As soon as he was there Elrohir looked up into the manling's eyes.

"Let's go save our brother, Estel."

. . .

Mellolaes raced out of the gardens, through the orchards, through the fields, out into the woods, across meadows, and towards the mountains. She supposed she should be changing her own clothes and bathing. But why wash out the forest, fields, and streams before she'd truly let herself be "silvan" in them? Oh a special happiness fluttered in a bird's breast when she hovered over her nest, but there was a special joy in flying too.

The Hidden Valley was beautiful! The trees were not as awake, nor the plants as strong, as those that still flourished around the palace of Mirkwood. They were not loved or paid as much attention to, but Mellolaes had never heard the voices of waters so loud or clear. What made them so awake here?

The elleth leapt from stone to stone over a brook that was laughing louder than she. She sprang into the branches of a tree on the other side of the stream and lay down along it. A smile spread over her face. The tree stirred before speaking softly and sluggishly, as one newly awakened from a light doze.

_Greetings fair daughter of the woods. Not many of your kind have come this way. _

_I know. Is it not sad? My people could be happy here I think. The other fair folk here are. Your kind deserve some attention here too, along with the many waters._

_We get a little from another one of your folk who comes in the summer, a fair elf warrior who loves to perch in our branches._

_Ah, that would be Legolas. He is one of the reasons I'm here._

_What other reason has brought you to us tree-friend?_

_I will introduce you to each other sometime._

. . .

Glorfindel parried and jabbed. Elladan jumped back from the move. Then he raised his sword to block his captain's follow up move. Glorfindel caught the blade, swept it aside and thrust his sword-point under Elladan's chin.

"Kill," the Balrog-slayer said cheerfully before letting his sword drop. Elladan smiled with a sigh, and then turned his head at the sound of laughter. Elrohir was approaching with Estel on his shoulders. Erestor followed them. Elladan met his twin's shining eyes.

"Brother! Where have you been? Glorfindel has slaughtered me three times already!"

"That is progress brother," Elrohir replied. "He slaughtered you over two-hundred times when he first arrived."

"Two-hundred and nineteen," Erestor corrected from behind.

At Elrohir's answering laugh, Elladan called out, "What are you laughing about, brother mine? He slaughtered you two-hundred and twenty-six times."

Estel chuckled as Elrohir placed him atop the rail that warrior's sometimes hitched their horses' reins to. Erestor casually leaned over and laid his arm along the rail so that it curved around the manling creating a barrier between him and the air behind while making a quick grab easy if the boy leaned too far forward.

Elrohir buckled his sword belt on and strode to his brother's side. There they both bent their knees while raising their swords. Glorfindel took a step backwards while studying them. He then gave a nod of respect before falling on them with the fury of a veteran from a lost age.

Both twins were made to retreat beneath the blows. They only kept their ground with joint assaults, or one keeping the older elf busy with a particularly good move, or a particularly bad move meant to bait the warrior into attacking him, while the other slipped behind or moved to the Captain's other side to assail the Balrog Slayer from that direction.

Glorfindel did not often let them get away with the baiting tactic. It was a favorite of theirs, and they used it too often.

. . .

"How old is she? Barely not an elfling?"

"She is seven centuries past being an elfling."

"And from Mirkwood's palace?"

"Aye, from King Thranduil's own household."

"So she must have seen generations of humans come and go."

"Yes, strange isn't it. She is like our own Lord in that way."

"But her people were not fond of humans in the old days."

"They let them live beside their wood now. Things have changed."

"I hope that though she is young, she has some comfort to give our Lord, his sons, his Steward, and his Captain when this mortal also accepts the gift of Iluvatar. I have not seen them grow quite this close to a manling before."

Mellolaes watched her fellow servants pass the falls below the tree she was now nestled in. Then she heard the laughter of her charge, which she had already learned to pick out of the thousands of strains in the song. His joy called her from her thoughts. She turned and headed toward it.

. . .

Mellolaes walked up behind her charge. Leaning against the rail on the opposite side of Estel from Erestor, she asked, "What are we watching, Estel?"

Estel started slightly. He was caught, righted, and steadied by both the arm of the steward and hand of his nurse. When he was again firm on his perch the boy grinned at the elleth. "My brothers are sparring with Glorfdel!" The manling held his head high and turned back to the scene. "They're sword masters!"'

Mellolaes turned her gaze to the match. She studied it for a few heartbeats before nodding. "They are indeed."

Elrohir was favoring his right leg, but compensating well. Elladan was not really using his right arm, but continued to wield the blade expertly in his left. Glorfindel attempted to take full advantage of both of these things, but smiled warmly when his students foiled these attempts. He was not faking an injury at all.

Estel beamed at the spectacle. "I'm going to be a sword master too!"

A painful smile flitted over the elleth's face. Erestor noted it. He also noted how the elleth gripped her charge's arm while she replied, "Of course you will," and how the manling smiled wider and sat straighter when she said this. Erestor continued to listen to her further question.

"Will your brothers and Glorfindel teach you to be a sword master?"

Estel nodded again, "As soon as I can hold a real sword!"

Elrohir attempted a faint while Elladan suddenly pressed their opponent harder. Glorfindel didn't take Elrohir's bait. Instead the Balrog slayer turned and met Elladan's advance head on. With a hard shove of crossed swords he forced the younger elf back four strides. Elrohir rushed in to take Glorfindel's attention off of his brother. Glorfindel met Elrohir's blade, swept it aside, and pressed the point of his into the jacket covering the area between the younger elf's neck and his left shoulder.

"Cut!" Glorfindel cried while spinning away to meet Elladan's blade. Elrohir backed away, sheathing his sword, unbuckling his belt, and hanging it on the rack with his right hand, while letting his left arm hang limp, and continuing to favor his leg. He stumbled dramatically up to the hitching rail, with his right hand pressed to his "wound," and peered up into the face of his little brother with his legs bent so much he was nearly on his knees.

"Great healer, the foul Glorfindel has sorely wounded me! Can you save my life?"

"Course!" Estel declared.

The manling pried Elrohir's hand from the shoulder and peered at the tiny hole poked through the tunic that revealed the unstained, white undershirt beneath. He furrowed his brow. Then Estel put his left hand into his pocket before holding his closed fingers up toward Mellolaes' eyes.

"Thread the needle, Melly."

"Is it that bad?" Elrohir questioned.

Estel nodded. "Needs stitches!"

Elrohir collapsed to the ground before the railing. Mellolaes and Erestor rolled their eyes, before helping Estel off the hitching post so he could sew his patient up while he was passed out. After the manling "stitched up" Elrohir's shoulder and leg, he attended to Elladan's "wounds" as well, and both brothers went back into the ring where Glorfindel had just finished a round with another soldier. Seeing Estel was still being watched by Erestor, Mellolaes excused herself in time to bathe and change before lunch.

**Reviews are highly appreciated and often responded to. My thanks once again to Saphira of the long, detailed, encouraging reviews, whom I cannot message. You are probably right about the silkier hair of elves. Mellolaes does like a small amount of time to herself. She will probably only need a few hours or so every day, and spend the majority of her time with Estel. That will allow the other four elves who love Estel some "guy time" with him. I hope you like liked this chapter. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I neither created nor own Middle Earth, Imladris, Rivendell, Estel/Aragorn, Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor, Elrohir, Elladan, or Legolas. I did create Mellolaes! :) ****This story is strictly for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.**

**In answer to questions asked by my wonderful reviewer Saphira. Legolas gets more mentions in this chapter. I doubt right now that he will appear in _this _story, but he is heavily involved in the next multi-chapter LOTR fanfiction I'm planning on posting. After that, he may even get a story all about him. While Lindir isn't in this chapter I think I have an idea for him to appear in an upcoming one. I hope you enjoy this chapter mellon nin. :)**

A knock on the door summoned Mellolaes to it. She was newly bathed and dressed in one of the gowns the twins had brought with them when they came to escort her to Rivendell. It was the only gown in the two-dozen she thought she'd enjoy wearing.

When she opened the door she was glad she was wearing the dress. The elf before her was the same one who had given it to her. She splayed out the skirt as she curtsied. "Good afternoon, Lord Elrond."

"Good afternoon, Merilvaidian," the elf responded with a nod. "Estel requested you join us for the noon meal." The elleth's eyebrows rose. Elrond continued. "This is my formal invitation for you to do so."

Mellolaes stepped out of her room and joined the Lord of the household in the hall. "I happily accept."

. . .

Elrond escorted his manling's nurse down the stairs, across another hall, and into the dining room. On one side of the table sat the twins and Glorfindel. Across from Glorfindel sat the steward of the household. Beside him sat an empty chair on the other side of the empty chair was Estel's. The manling was sitting in it atop a tall pillow. He immediately pointed toward the empty chair between his and Erestor's.

"Sit beside me, Melly!"

Mellolaes chuckled as she did so. Elrond sat in the only other empty chair, at the head of the table, and on the other side of his youngest son, where he could keep an eye on the child's table manners. Erestor avoided the gaze's of his Lord and the elleth who had usurped his seat. Assuming as much, Mellolaes tried to avoid the steward's notice in turn without seeming to do so.

Glorfindel and the twins provided much of the conversation. Thus it soon turned to archery practice, which would immediately follow the meal. Both brothers teased each other about their worst shots. Estel laughed at them. Elrohir turned and grinned at his little brother's nurse.

"Would you like to join us in archery practice, Mellolaes?"

"Can you shoot, Melly?"

"I'm not as good as Legolas, Estel. I'll only practice here if your ada says I may."

Erestor's brows rose at this obedient and humble reply. Elrond broke in. "Allowing you to continue your defense training was a condition Thranduil set in his agreement for letting us borrow your services."

The same flash Elrond had seen the night before lit Mellolaes' eyes. This time the Lord of Imladris missed it while he concentrated on cutting his asparagus. Erestor noted it instead. The steward smiled grimly to himself. Mellolaes stabbed her fork into the stem of her own spear of asparagus and popped it into her mouth. "I will join in archery practice then, if Estel is properly supervised while I do."

"Can I watch, ada?"

"Wouldn't you rather mold clay with me during that time as we planned, Estel?"

"No."

Elrond frowned a little at that reply. Molding clay with his ada was usually a favorite pastime of Estel's. The Lord or Imladris felt the stares of four pitying elves, and turned his frown upon them. Their attention turned back to their plates, his was caught by Mellolaes' voice.

"Are you skilled at molding clay, Estel?"

"Yes."

"Can you make me a little clay bird for me with your ada when you're through watching me shoot?"

"Can we, ada?"

"I suppose I could change my schedule to accommodate that, Estel.

"Yay!"

Elrond felt the sympathetic stares again and sent a stare of his own at those giving them.

. . .

"These are your bows?" Mellolaes stared at the weapon she held. Its length would make traveling and shooting in trees extremely awkward for its bearer, but then she supposed elves of Rivendell didn't worry about such things, nor the extra strength it would take to bend it.

"That's exactly what Legolas said when he first practiced archery here," Elladan remarked.

"May I use my own bow that I brought from Mirkwood?"

"That is what Legolas asked," Elrohir added.

"You will need the bow to hit the targets we will be aiming at," Glorfindel answered.  
"Why?"

The Blarog Slayer pointed to a row of distant hills. "They are there, my lady."

Mellolaes' eyes widened as she spotted the dots atop each of the hills he'd pointed to. Then she lifted the bow, drew back, aimed the closest dot, and released. The string twanged. Estel tried to follow the arrow's flight as it shot forward, but for him it disappeared into the distance. The three elves and elleth, however, both saw it land in the target and heard the thunk of the hit. Knowing this, Estel hopped up and down between his brothers and beloved nurse.

"How'd she do? How'd she do?"

Mellolaes lowered the bow with a huff. "I hit the third circle." Elladan slapped the elleth on the shoulder.

"And you took it much better than Legolas did."

"We learned several new silvan phrases that day," Elrohir added.

"What phrases? Can you teach them to me, Melly?"

Glorfindel scowled at the twins, who had the decency to look somewhat abashed and concerned. Mellolaes smiled down at her charge.

"I will teach you to speak silvan, Estel, but first I must master this long-bow."

The twins each hit the center of the first target then aimed at the next. Mellolaes practiced simply drawing the longer bow. Then Glorfindel went, and then she. She hit the third circle again, but closer to the second than before. When he was informed of this, Estel hugged her right leg. "It's okay Melly. I still like you."

Both twins began to chuckle. Even Glorfindel hid a grin behind his hand. Mellolaes shot them a look. The silvan flash lit her eyes, but her sweet smile and voice remained the same. "Thank you, Estel."

. . .

Elrond was mixing the clay in his hands when he heard the approach of small, running feet. "Ada! Ada! I need to make a bird for Melly, and a medal too!"

Elrond looked up and grinned back at his smiling son. "Why a medal, Estel?"  
"Because she won the archery contest. Eldan and Elro need to give her ten gold coins each too. It took her ten targets, but she got used to the new bow. She hit the last thirty in the center."

"The _last_ thirty? The ones farthest away?"

"Uh-huh, she said they were far, but she has really good eyes and they stay put. Ada, did you know that silvan targets are closer, but they move?

"Yes, they're thrown into the air, dropped from trees, or bob and travel on bodies of water do they not?"

"Uh-huh, or they're hidden in bushes and trees."

"Where are your brothers now, Estel?"

The manling's brows furrowed. "Glorfdel said they 'went to lick their wounds,' but I didn't see them get hurt."

"Some wounds do not scar the body, but the pride, Estel."

"Can we make them better, ada?"

"Perhaps, Estel, perhaps."

**Reviews are highly appreciated and often responded to. **


	8. Chapter 8

**I did not create Estel/Aragorn, Elrond, Lindir, Erestor, Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir, Celebrian, Imladris, Rivendell, Greenwood the Great/Mirkwood, or Middle Earth. Tolkien did. The only character I created is Mellolaes. I also just made up the song and dance "Deer in Spring." If it is an actual song or dance I didn't know.**

**This story is for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.**

Estel rolled a handful of clay between his small, brown palms. When the lump was slightly rounder, the manling took two, tiny pebbles and placed one on each side of the small lump. The child then placed the rounder lump onto one end of a larger lump of clay. The boy picked his creation up and held it up toward the elven lord's face with a grin.

"Look ada! It's a robin!"

Elrond chuckled, now understanding why Estel had rubbed some reddish dust onto one side of the larger lump of clay. "Well done ion nin."

"What are you making, ada?"

Elrond glanced down at the figure he had formed in his hands. In truth, he'd only half paid attention to his own molding. He found watching Estel's own efforts more fascinating than being attentive to his own. Yet, the elf had managed to create a recognizable form.

The shape was a person wearing a long dress that hid her feet. Long hair fell all the way down to the hem of the skirt. A long neck held up an almost perfect oval head. The figure did not yet have a face, but Elrond already recognized who he had made.

"Celebrian."

Estel scooted over to look at the figurine. "She needs eyes." Estel looked at the dish of beads sitting nearby. "What color are her eyes, ada?"

"Blue, like Glorfindel's, but lighter."

Estel caught sight of a few beads the exact color of the sky on a warm summer day, like Glorfindel's eyes. Then he saw two that were an even lighter shade of blue. Estel took these out and laid them into the palm of the elven lord's hand.

"Here you go ada!"

Elrond smiled gently as he took the beads. He placed them perfectly across from each other, not too close together, and nearer to the oval's top than its bottom. Estel stared at the tiny face.

"Now she needs a mouth."

Elrond picked up a long, smooth stick with a pointed end and carefully used it to form smiling lips on the clay elleth. Estel grinned at his ada's work. "She's pretty, ada."

Elrond smiled sadly. The figurine was like a reflection of his beloved in dirty water, but he was glad he could share even that much of her beauty with Estel. The manling had pressed himself into his ada's chest, so he felt the elf sigh. The child threw his arms around the elven lord's neck and squeezed. Elrond immediately chuckled and hugged the manling back with the arm that wasn't holding the clay figurine.

Both the manling and elf looked up at the sound of singing. Estel spun around. "Melly!" Elrond winced when the manling shouted next to his ears.

The elleth appeared wearing a wide grin. "Well met mellon nin, but how many times must you be told not to yell near another's ear?"

The boy looked up at the elf. "Sorry ada."

"I accept your apology, Estel."

The elleth sat down across from them.

"How goes the clay molding?"

"I made you a medal and robin, Melly!" The manling held up the clay bird in one hand and an uneven disk in the other. "The medal needs to be baked before it can be put on a ribbon though."

Mellolaes sat down next to her charge while crossing her legs. She gently took the clay disk from the manling's hand. Then she held it up before her eyes and studied it. A slightly curving stick with a piece of string attached to both ends was pressed into the disk on one side. Pressed into the other side of the medal was a straight stick with a triangle shaped fleck of bright stone pressed into the clay right atop it. The elleth smiled.

"It is wonderful, Estel. I will be proud to wear it around my neck once it has a ribbon."

Estel beamed up at her and held up the clay bird with both hands. "Look at my robin now, Melly!" The elleth gently placed the clay disk on the ground and took the clay creature into her cupped hands.

"It is a robin! Look at its red breast. Excellent work mellon nin!" The manling held his chin up into the air. His chest puffed out a bit. Elrond smiled at them both.

The elleth picked up an unformed lump of clay. "He needs a nest and a mate." The elleth made a clay base that looked much like a shallow bowl, but then she and Estel both began to cover it in bits of sticks and straw. Then they each took a tiny lump of clay to make eggs, which they tucked into the nest. Elrond smothered a laugh at seeing the elleth and manling's work sitting side by side, imagining the manling showing the piece off later and unnecessarily pointing out which of the eggs he had made. The elleth then made a robin of her own giving it stick legs to stand on the edge of its nest. The head was bent down to look at the eggs. The small glinting bits of stone she used for eyes were placed so perfectly that when they reflected the light they made the creature seem alive. She rubbed orange sand over its front and took the crafting stick to give it a meaningful line here or there.

Estel gazed in wonder at their work. A perfect robin call startled him into leaping back before he looked up at a laughing Mellolaes and realized she had made it. Then he and Elrond laughed too.

"See Melly!" Estel pointed toward his ada's work. "Ada made Celebrian!"

Elrond had added more detail to his own piece while they had worked on theirs. The dress fell in gentle folds. The hair fell down gentler still. A belt was around the waist of the dress, showing how narrow the waist beneath was. The elleth held her long fingered hands clasped in front of her. The smile and glint in the blue, bead eyes seemed knowing.

The expression on Mellolaes' face softened. "She is lovely as the Moon-white water lily."

Elrond nodded gravely. "It is nearly as good a comparison as I have heard, but Celebrian herself is lovelier than all the water lilies in the world even if they were to shine with the light of the moon itself."

. . .

Lindir sat playing his harp and singing in the Hall of Fire. He was attempting to compose a new song he'd been working on for centuries. The ballad had gotten quite long, but he had not found a way to end it that satisfied him. After playing and singing another attempt he shook his head. Then his ears caught a familiar voice.

"Here he is, Melly!"

Lindir flinched. He turned with wide eyes to see Elrond's adopted manling approaching. The child was pulling an elleth along behind him. Lindir was not sure if he was relieved at this or not.

Even if the minstrel had not seen her arrive, and heard of her before then, he would have known the elleth was the manling's new, silvan nurse. She was with the manling for one thing. Wild laughter sparkled in her leaf-green eyes for another. Most telling of all, the silvan smirk was pinning up the corners of her mouth.

Lindir stifled a sigh. He had so hoped the new nurse would not only make his interacting with the manling unnecessary, but also cause the child to act with more decorum. This elleth looked more like she would aid the manling in making mischief.

Estel stopped a few feet from Lindir's harp. At least he hadn't crashed into it this time. Then he pointed to the elf while looking up at his nurse. "This is Lindir, Melly! He's the greatest musician in all of Arda!"

Lindir started. He he'd never heard the manling refer to him so. Indeed he thought the boy considered him an enemy. The minstrel didn't know that Estel's anger at him had passed when he'd learned Lindir's insistence that dwarves were made by Aule was not a contradiction of Elrond and Erestor's teachings that only Iluvatar could make people.

Estel had overheard several elves speak of Lindir's skill and his reputation among all who'd heard him sing and play. These overheard remarks along with Estel's own pride in his home resulted in his boast. Showing Melly everything important in Rivendell wouldn't be complete without taking her to see Arda's greatest musician.

Somehow though, Estel had not managed to get Mellolaes to the famous minstrel while his other caretakers were about. As soon as his ada had gone to wash the clay from his hands and before Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir, or Erestor found them again, Estel had grabbed his new nurse's hand and dragged her here. The manling beamed in pride at finally bringing the introduction about.

Mellolaes curtsied to the minstrel. "Well met, Lindir."

Lindir nodded back. "Well met Mellolaes Merilvaidian."

"Would Arda's greatest musician possibly do something to please a silvan nurse?"

Lindir found himself revising his assessment of this elleth. "What is the favor you wish to ask of me?"

"I have been told you can play any instrument."

"That was me! I told her that!" Estel hopped beside his nurse with his hand waving in the air.

Lindir smiled at the manling. Then he looked back up to the nurse. "These hands can usually play the instruments placed in them given enough practice."

"Will you play 'Deer in Spring' on the flute over there?" The elleth pointed over Lindir's shoulder. He turned his head to spy the instrument. The flute was a part of his instrument collection. He only played it when he was in the rare mood to do so.

As a music enthusiast Lindir had traveled to Green Wood the Great to hear the voices of the Silvans. Like him they were famous for their love of song. He had found their music uplifting and amusing, but simple compared to that of the Noldor and not as elegant. He'd commissioned one of their flutes to be made for him, returned for it, taken some time to learn their most famous and finest songs and returned to Imladris. He had not visited the Green Wood, now Mirkwood, since. But he had learned "Deer in Spring" while he was there.

"That is not such a difficult task," he replied picking the flute up and putting it to his lips. Mellolaes picked her charge up, raced over to a cushion, placed him in it and winked. "Watch this, Estel."

The manling sat up and stared at his nurse. She raced over to an open space near the end of the hall. There she stood up on the tips of her toes. The first note echoed from the flute and filled the hall.

. . .

Elrond was hastening towards the Hall of Fire. He'd gone to wash up and change then peeked outside to find Estel and Mellolaes not playing outside where he'd left them. He'd gone out to learn their whereabouts. A gardener told him that Estel had dragged Mellolaes off in the direction of the Hall of Fire. Elrond knew Lindir was there trying to finish his centuries long labor of composing his third original ballad. Estel interacting with the minstrel had never turned out well.

Elrond was hurrying to prevent trouble when he heard a string of notes. The elf paused in his stride. The notes became a tune, which then became an unfamiliar, wild, but beautiful and skillfully played song. Elrond hastened on. His heart now beat with more curiosity than fear.

. . .

At the first high note Mellolaes leapt straight into the air kicking her left leg forward and right leg back while lifting her corresponding arms the same way. When her feet came back to the floor she raced down the hall during the series of quick notes that ended during a long high note during which she leapt into the air again. This time she traveled through the air going several strides forward before landing.

Estel was laughing and clapping now. Lindir's eyes were alight above the flute. This was indeed the silvan dance of "The Deer in Spring" which went with the song of the same name. The elleth was dancing it almost as skillfully as he was playing it.

. . .

Elrond stood in the entrance of the Hall of Fire and watched his son laugh as his nurse ran, leapt, and spun with the music. Lindir's was playing the simple song with apparent enjoyment. Behind him Elrond heard surprised voices and the swish of fabric that spoke of approaching elves.

. . .

Before the song ended, every nearby elf that could leave their activities was standing or sitting against the walls of the Hall of Fire or outside its open doors making sure they'd left the dancing elleth plenty of room. When the song and dance ended every elf in the audience applauded, including Erestor. Entirely forgetting jumping on furniture was not allowed, Estel was hopping up and down on his cushioned seat clapping as hard as he could and shouting, "Again! Again! Again, again, again!"

Lindir bowed with a bright, yet bashful grin. Warmth spread from the center of his chest to the tips of his fingers, toes, and ears as he looked toward the manling. The joy of one's art being appreciated flowed from him.

Mellolaes picked her charge up. She carried him over to the minstrel. Estel stopped shouting, finally remembering to be careful of others ears. The elleth stopped to stand before Lindir. She wore a grateful smile of her own.

"Thank you Lindir. I believe Estel is right. I have not heard that song played so perfectly even in my own home. You played it with true silvan wildness."

"To do otherwise would not be true to the song itself," Lindir replied.

Mellolaes turned to her charge. "What do we say when others do nice things for us, Estel?"

"Thank you, Lindir!"

"You're quite welcome, Estel Elrondion."

"Will you play it again?"

The minstrel laughed. "Perhaps I will play one more song of the Silvans, in honor of Mellolaes Merilvaidian's arrival.

"Yay!"

The other members of the audience made their own approval known. Mellolaes said thank you and sat down in a cushion to listen with Estel in her lap. The manling leaned forward to listen. Mellolaes leaned forward herself. She lightly rested her chin on the top of the manling head where it sank into his dark brown curls. Lindir looked directly at them as he began to play.

Erestor made his way over to his lord and managed to whisper into Elrond's ear before the new song began. "_How is it she managed to bring peace between our manling and our minstrel?"_

Elrond shrugged. "She seems to always do what we should have known to do ourselves."

"Indeed, she encourages others to do what they desire to, praises them for doing so, and somehow brings about peace and harmony. She could take our place in Rivendell's diplomatic endeavors."

"Let us simply be glad she does the job we called her for so well," Elrond replied. Erestor nodded in deference.

**Reviews are much appreciated and often responded to. They also let me know what I did right so I can do more of it and what I did wrong so I can fix it. ****J**


	9. Chapter 9

**I did not create Estel/Aragorn, Elrond, Lindir, Erestor, Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir, Celebrian, Imladris, Rivendell, Greenwood the Great/Mirkwood, or Middle Earth. Tolkien did. The only character I created is Mellolaes. **

**A big thanks to the faithful reviewer of this story, Saphira, who looked up "Deer in Spring," and discovered it is not a real song. In my opinion it should be. If there are any composers out there who want to contact me and get my input on how I imagined it so they can make it a real song, feel free to do so. The same goes for dance chorographers.**

**This story is for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.**

Play time had arrived. The twins were finished with training for the day. Estel had finished all his lessons much earlier. Ada and Erestor were busy. Dinner wasn't ready yet, and Estel had to be tired out before bedtime. The twins were experts in tiring out their little brother. This time, they would be joined in the task by their little brother's new nurse.

She suggested, with a wink, that they do so by playing in the woods. Once the four of them arrived there a game of chase was agreed upon. Mellolaes volunteered to be the one fleeing, along with Estel. The twins could be the ones chasing them.

Both elves answered her suggestion with identical frowns. What the elleth suggested seemed unfair to them. They worked best together. Also, though they would never tell him so, Estel was a handicap for whichever team he was on.

As they mentally discussed this between themselves, the elleth herself continued to smirk at them. The twins, finally, shrugged at each other and nodded towards her. They'd decided to take it easy on her like they told themselves they had in the archery competition.

Mellolaes picked up Estel, before racing into the bushes and trees she'd run through earlier that day by herself. She slipped through the woods with elven grace and the perfection of constant practice.

The twins gave chase. Following their quarry was easy. Estel's laugh continuously gave his position away. Mellolaes was hampered by carrying the manling and having to find places to slide through that she could fit through with him clinging to her. The twins themselves were elves as well and used to racing through the wilderness. They soon caught up.

Just as Elladan neared the racing elleth and squealing manling, Mellolaes released a branch she had brushed aside. The twig slapped back into the elf's nose. He jerked back and covered the struck spot with his hand. An elleth's chuckled echoed ahead.

Elrohir paused behind his frozen brother. Elladan eyes were wide and unfocused. Concerned, the younger twin peered into the elder's mind.

Elladan was trying to recall if a servant had ever done such a thing to him before. Erestor and Glorfindel had disciplined them both when their father was unavailable. They had their tussles with each other, friendly and not. Estel had attempted like things, failing more often than he succeeded. But a servant had never, even in jest, deliberately smacked one of them with anything. The chuckles of this new servant stopped.

"Your nose didn't break did it?"

Instead of replying, Elladan removed his hand and met his brother's gaze. "We need to be more wary Elrohir. This one is without mercy." The elleth chuckled again.

Both brothers leapt up into the tree after them. Mellolaes began to race from branch to branch. With a few leaps, Elladan got in front of the manling and elleth. He stopped to ambush them.

Mellolaes was brushing the limbs and trunks of the trees as she passed, listening intently. She smiled. As Elladan leaned out to catch her she changed direction. He leaned further. The branch beneath him suddenly fell out from under his feet. He landed in the bushes beneath. The laughter of his youngest brother and the boy's nurse echoed down to him.

Elrohir paused in the chase to look down at his twin. Elladan grinned up at him. "Ah, brother, we must be doubly wary. Even the trees are against us now." The elleth chuckled again. They had no idea.

When the elves raced through the branches they went out from under them. When they chased on the ground roots popped up and tripped them. Bushes and branches both parted for the elleth and manling. Then they moved to bar the twins' way. The elleth perched in tree branches that shielded her from view. If Estel could have stopped laughing and panting when he ran out of breath, he and Mellolaes could have both disappeared into the forest. As it was, her burden and the terrain's favoritism kept the game even.

The twins, finally, caught their quarry when Mellolaes darted through a clearing tugging Estel behind her on his own two legs. Both elves knew in the depths of their humiliated hearts she was having mercy on them. After that, they both refused to continue the game of chase. The twins began to toss Estel between them instead.

Estel loved "flying." While the brothers thus played together, Mellolaes reentered the woods to thank the trees for their aid. When she returned, she found the boys had discovered three, fairly straight sticks and were mock sparring with them.

Mellolaes grinned at the display. "Get them, Estel!"

All three stopped and turned to grin at her. Estel raced a short distance away to pick something up off the ground. He held a fourth stick over his head. "I got one for you, Melly!"

Mellolaes laughed and went forward to take it from him. Something slightly uneasy was in her grin when she turned back towards the twins. Estel stepped to her side. "Be on my team!"

"Perhaps you should be with one of your brothers this time, Estel."

"No!" Estel grabbed her free hand with his. "I'll protect you."

"Thank you, Estel." Mellolaes looked up and saw the twin, evil smiles she was receiving from the other sons of Elrond. "I'm going to need it."

Estel quickly learned there was no benefit to being on his nurse's team this time. The twins took advantage of their, well, advantage against the elleth in such a way that Elrond and Glorfindel would have scolded them for it if they'd seen them. The young elven warriors' stung prides likely had something to do with this. After some time, the twins backed away to show Mellolaes the mercy she had shown them. Estel looked up at his nurse in amazement.

"What's wrong, Melly?"

The elleth shook her head. "I have not fought with a sword before, Estel, ever."

A light flashed in her eyes. A smirk spread over her face. Those on the faces of the twins melted away.

"I fight with far short blades," she continued. Her knee came up into the air. She broke her stick over it into two smaller pieces. Then she put one foot back and held the stick in a familiar twin knife defensive stance that slightly reminded the twins of Legolas. "There," the elleth finished, "much better."

With a grin, Estel rushed at his brothers again with a four-years-old's battle cry. Mellolaes fought better after that, much better. She still never touched the twins with the ends of her blades, but she pressed in on them with a fury that made the elves nervous at times, especially since the broken ends of her sticks were actually sharp.

. . .

Elrond watched his sons and Mellolaes walk towards the house in the warm, afternoon light. Dinner would be ready soon. They would have to hasten in washing and changing the clothes for it if they didn't want to be late. The group didn't seem to be hurrying though.

Estel was riding on Elladan's shoulders. Elrohir was mock pouting that he wasn't getting a turn to carry their little brother. Mellolaes was striding ahead, shaking her head, before making a remark to them over her shoulder. Estel giggled from his perch. Elrond smiled at the scene. Then his face turned grave as what he saw changed.

The scene before him didn't change dramatically. He simply stopped seeing it and instead saw several scenes flowing into each other like water. The ground and land around the four figures seemed to shift into other seasons and the clothes they wore faded into varied outfits. The summer land changed to autumn with the browns, golds, and reds of the finished harvest. Estel wore a jacket, boots, and a hat. Then white spread over everything and Mellolaes threw a snowball into Elladan's face, before running away as Elrohir bent to make a weapon with which to avenge his brother. The white changed to the brown of moist earth. Puddles were everywhere. Both of the elves, the elleth, and the manling were covered in the same water and mud. Then the land was covered in the bright green of new grass and new leaves. Estel was chattering excitedly and Mellolaes and the twins were trying to answer him as fast as they could. Summer came again.

These changes went on and on with small variations, but what changed the most was the manling himself. Within the next few rotations he was no longer carried, but walking and running on his own. His chubby-cheeks disappeared. He became taller, lankier, and wiry with thin growing limbs and knotted muscles. His eyes became keener with knowledge, but a light of joy continued to shine in their dark centers.

Then the changes stopped before the manling quite reached his nurse's shoulder. Elrond was once again seeing what lay before him now. His little boy was being carried by Elladan with Elrohir and Mellolaes flanking them, in the late summer light.

Elrond didn't know if the vision had ceased, because such things would not occur after the last of the moments he had glimpsed. What he had just seen was not even sure to come to pass. Things foreseen were not certain. He and Galadriel had learned that long ago.

Yet, what he had just glimpsed soothed, humbled, and saddened Lord Elrond. Humbled, because the vision had made it clear that this elleth he'd doubted would likely remain a source of joy for Estel as she had already proven herself to be. He was saddened, because his manling could not stay small and baby-like for much longer. He was soothed, because Estel could continue to have joy shining in his eyes for years to come.

**Reviews are much appreciated and often responded to. They also let me know what I did right so I can do more of it and what I did wrong so I can fix it. ****J**


	10. Chapter 10

**I did not create Estel/Aragorn, Elrond, Lindir, Erestor, Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir, Celebrian, Imladris, Rivendell, Greenwood the Great/Mirkwood, or Middle Earth. Tolkien did. The only character I created is Mellolaes.**

**This story is for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.**

**In answer to my wonderful reviewer Saphira. You're absolutely right. Elladan and Elrohir should have known better than to chase a Silvan elf through a forest. We'll see if love is in Mellolaes' future. ;) However reliable foresight might be, foresight scenes seem to be big with readers. Legolas and Thranduil won't actually make an appearance in this story, but they are heavily involved in the midquel "How Estel Got a Nurse." I will hopefully start posting it right after this one is finished. The next chapter should be the last. :)**

During dinner, Mellolaes was careful to sit at the end of the table. This allowed Erestor to sit next to Estel and hear all about the day's adventures from him. The steward listened with a grave face and nodded appropriately. Once or twice a spark of humor lit his eyes and a corner of his mouth lifted, particularly when Estel explained how his brothers were out maneuvered.

After dinner the elves took Estel up to bed while Mellolaes slipped into her room across the hall to finish her unpacking. Elrond washed his son's face. Erestor brushed his student's teeth. Glorfindel garbed the manling in his nightshirt, and the twins tucked their little brother into bed.

"Now it is time for your story Estel. Who would you like to tell it tonight?"

"Everyone!"

The elves chuckled. Elrond looked to his steward. "Is there a story we can all tell him?"

"We can tell him of the creation of the stars, moon, and sun, as well as our people and his," Erestor replied.

"That we can," Glorfindel agreed. The twins grinned. Elrond nodded. The steward turned to the manling and began.

"Once upon a time, the Valar were concerned, because they knew Iluvatar was going to bring a race of people into being. They also knew their enemy was waiting to hurt them as soon as they were made. So, Elbereth filled the sky with stars. Their silver light shone upon all of Arda."

Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir began to sing in the highest, clearest, and most piercing tones their voices could reach. The music did indeed remind the elven ears that overheard it of the voices of the stars. Mellolaes heard them in her room across the hall.

As if drawn without her knowledge, the elleth made her way to the doorway of her charge's room. There she stood and listened as Erestor raised his voice to continue the story. She remained unnoticed as the steward spoke on.

"The enemy and his creatures of darkness fled from the brightness of the stars. They hid from the new lights in deep, dark places trembling in fear. While Elbereth kindled these new wonders in the sky, a new thing appeared on Arda. The race of elves was born beneath the new lights. So the elder race began. This is why we are called the 'children of the stars.'"

The voices of Elrond and his twin sons changed. They now sang in their most comfortable ranges. The song was joyful, for it was even older than the sorrows of the elder race.

"What beauty is this? What do we hear and what do we see? What music surrounds us? Where are we? Who are we? We are the elves. The music we hear is coming from everything we see. So we will also sing, like He who brought us into being. Iluvatar is He. Our creator and the singer of all we hear and see."

Another voice had joined them as they sang the ancient song. Estel sat up and looked toward the doorway. Mellolaes stood there. Her mouth was open as her own less refined, but warm, bright voice joined those of his family. As soon as there was a pause in the song the boy held his arms out towards his nurse.

"Melly!"

Mellolaes closed her mouth. She smiled at the manling as the elves in the room turned towards her. The boy began to pat the empty space on the bed beside him.

"Come tell me the story too, Melly."

Mellolaes glanced at her employer. She had meant to give Estel's older caretakers this time with him. So caught up into the song and story had the elleth become, Mellolaes had done what she'd planned not to without realizing it.

However, Elrond's expression remained gentle. While looking at her, the elven Lord nodded towards his son. Mellolaes smiled.

Instead of stepping over to the bed and lowering herself onto in a dignified way, the Silvan sprang into the air. Elves on either side of the room backed out of her flight path. Mellolaes landed on the mattress, crawled over it, and flopped down beside the manling. Estel was laughing. His nurse lay down atop the coverlet pulled over Estel, and leaned back into the same pillow he was propped up against.

Elrond's features were a dispassionate mask, but a glint of humor shone in his eyes. The twin hid their amusement less successfully. Glorfindel looked from face to face with his usual warm grin that was just a little warmer and wider than usual. Erestor did not appear amused at all, but went on with the story.

"Many, many years later, the enemy destroyed the trees of light and returned to Arda to hide from the Valar and continue to hurt the children of Iluvatar. The Valar mourned for the destroyed trees."

Glorfindel bowed his head as the memories of the darkness that preceded and followed the destruction of the trees, whose light he had been born beneath. He had been filled with rage at their destruction. He had left Valinor partly out of loyalty to Turgon, but also to help retrieve what remained of their light and strike out at the one who'd destroyed them and stolen it. He'd never felt as if he'd accomplished any of these things.

None of the Noldor who'd set out succeeded in gaining back a Simirill. While he'd slain many of Morgoth's slaves he doubted he had ever done anything that had even begun to make the Enemy of All pay for what he'd done. That had all been accomplished by others. Turgon had been slain, he had left him during his greatest need.

Yet . . . Glorfindel looked to Elrond, the twins, and the manling. He had accomplished something. This time though, he was glad to have the Valar's blessing to be in Arda. The Golden warrior came out his gloomy thoughts to turn them back to the story.

"One last fruit and one last flower appeared on the trees. The Valar lifted them up and hung them in the sky they gave them into the keeping of two of the fiercest of the Maiar. The moon made the journey first."

Elrond began to sing a song of battle, as he did Erestor went on.

"So the moon's light joined that of the stars," here the twins began to sing the high, clear, bright tones again, "in chasing the enemy and his servants back into their fortress. He who had rejoiced in the harm they'd done now gazed in terror upon this wonder. But, the greatest wonder had not yet appeared."

Erestor now turned to Glorfindel. The ancient warrior opened his mouth and sang. His voice sounded just like the sun; warm, golden, and powerful.

Erestor continued. "If the light of the moon had made the enemies flee, this new wonder made them cower. Under the new light of the sun many things awakened that had slept since before the elves were born.

The other three singers opened their mouths to continue, and then shut them again. Another had already begun to sing of wild things awakened by the warmth of the sun's touch. Silvan words told of the joy of its first rising and journey through the sky, of new bird songs, new flowers opening, bees first buzzing, butterflies first fluttering, of how wondrous it was to not only see all these new things, but to see them so clearly beneath the light of day.

None in the room noticed the passage of time, until she stopped. Then Erestor finished his story. "Along with all the awakening of all these other things, a new free people were born. Far to the South, men first appeared upon the earth, under this brightest of lights in the sky. So they are called 'the second born,' 'children of the sun.'"

All elvish eyes in the room turned towards Estel. His own were closed. His chest was rising and falling in a slow rhythm. Mellolaes kissed him on the forehead, rose from the bed, and walked out of the room without asking for permission to leave. She turned at the sound of Elrond's voice.

"Merilvaidian, will you please wait in the hall outside? I would like to speak with you"

She nodded, "If you wish."

**Reviews are greatly appreciated and often responded to. They help me know what I did right, so I can do more of it and what I did wrong, so I can fix it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I did not create Estel/Aragorn, Elrond, Lindir, Erestor, Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir, Celebrian, Imladris, Rivendell, Greenwood the Great/Mirkwood, or Middle Earth. Tolkien did. The only character I created is Mellolaes. **

**I suppose I should have mentioned in the disclaimer of the last chapter that I don't own Tolkien's story of the origin of Middle Earth's stars, elves, moon, sun, and humans. I loved that part of his story and thought an extremely condensed and toned down version would be a nice bedtime story for little Estel. There were not that many other canon tales of Middle Earth that were. **

**This story is for entertainment purposes only, so please read and be entertained.**

**Last chapter of this story! Wohoooooooo!**

**I need to apologize for the last time I posted this chapter. At least one dear reader and reviewer told me it came up as data rather than simply the story I tried to post. That happens sometimes, and I should have checked before walking away from it. So sorry, here it is.**

The elves all kissed Estel's brow goodnight. Then they left the manling's room. Elrond remained standing just outside of the door.

On beautiful nights, when he had no pressing business as the Lord of Rivendell, he would go to the westernmost balcony and stare out towards the sea. He built a mental wall around the feelings that came with that thought. This night he had something to resolve.

There was someone in his household he did not understand. Elrond did not like the experience of having anything so close by he could not comprehend and predict. Having that someone caring for his most vulnerable child was nerve racking. His gaze locked on Mellolaes Merilvaidian.

The elven lord stared at the elleth as if she was an unidentifiable gift from someone he didn't want to offend. Actually, she was quite close to that. Mellolaes herself stared back with a Silvan smirk. Elrond briefly wondered when in Arda's history that trait had first manifested itself in their community.

Then the elven lord walked by her and down the hall. His gaze turned from her to where he was going. "Walk with me."

Mellolaes arched an eyebrow, but did so. When they had gotten a few halls away from Estel's room, Elrond spoke again. "Do you enjoy working with, Estel, Merilvaidian?"

Mellolaes chuckled as she answered. "I don't see how any cannot. He is an easy child to become attached to."

"Does that not bother you?"

Mellolaes' head snapped about to stare at Elrond's expressionless face. "Which part?"

"That you may become attached to him?"

"Ah . . ." The elleth shrugged. "I expected it to be so. I always become attached to those in my care."

"So, why did you agree to come here and take the position of a mortal's nurse?"

Mellolaes' eyes flew open. She turned fully around to face Elrond. He paused, his brows furrowed. Her next words sounded breathless. "You mean he's not an elfling?"

Elrond studied the elleth trying to find signs of a thought impairing malady in her. After less than a second beneath his gaze, the elleth slapped her hand over her mouth. The eyes above the hand shone like stars. Her shoulders began to shake. She bent double at the waist as spasms of mirth shook her.

The elven lord continued to stare at her, his mouth tightening in disapproval. He was forcing his eyeballs not to roll. Finally, the spasms decreased, and Mellolaes removed her hand from her mouth. Her voice truly sounded breathless now.

"I'm sorry. Legolas told me that here servants don't joke like that with their superiors."

Elrond arched an eyebrow. "Not usually."

"What is it you really want to know, Lord Elrond?"

The half-elf began to walk forward again. He stopped after three steps. He looked back over his shoulder with another arched eyebrow. Mellolaes was smiling at him exactly where he'd left her. Elrond pushed down a touch of frustration. He turned and took a few steps back toward her while he answered.

"There were many I sent word to asking them to come to Rivendell and care for Estel during times I, my other sons, my steward, and my captain could not. The only person who agreed to do so was you. Why did you leave your home to become attached to a mortal child?"

"Do you think I'm a spy?"

"I would not have left you alone with Estel if I thought that."

"Then why do you need to know?"

"Is there a reason you refuse to tell me?"

Mellolaes shrugged. "I'm not sure I know myself. Why does Lindir play music? Why do you heal others? Why do my people love trees? We do."

"I see."

"May I go where I can see the stars and hear the voices of the water and trees, now?"

Elrond arched his eyebrow again. Then he stepped past her in the opposite direction he had been trying to lead her in before. "Follow me."

Elrond led her to a balcony washed in moonlight. His heart clenched as he recalled how a far different elleth looked in moonlight. He blocked such thoughts from his mind as he stood aside. Mellolaes passed through the doorway before him. Once out from behind walls and under a roof, the Silvan felt herself engulfed by the music of the valley.

Elrond stepped out after her. His gaze swept over the view of Imladris as well. He made note of various things like the amount of water coming down from the mountains, the humidity of the air, and the growth of the sapling that had been planted to replace the birch felled by the worst of last year's storm. After doing so, he spoke again.

"You have always had a gift for working with younglings, then?"

Mellolaes rolled her eyes and suppressed a chuckle. "I have."

Elrond's jaw clenched. A giggle escaped Mellolaes. "Would you like to hear my life story, Lord Elrond?"

"A work history would do."

"Well, when my family tells others of my 'gift' with younglings, they usually speak of how I became a mother duck while I was a small elfling."

Elrond forced himself not to turn his gaze upon the Silvan as he considered this comment. Out of the corner of his eye he saw she was staring at him in silence. He had to give her a reaction of some kind. "A mother . . . duck."

The elleth nodded. "When I was an elfling I found an orphan nest of duck eggs and carried them home in my skirt. I kept them in straw, keeping them warm, and turning them over like their mother would, until they hatched. My mother, cousin, and older brothers thought I'd eventually get bored or careless. I think they began to wish I would. Once I took my duckling to the pond, I wouldn't leave them to go indoors. I tried not to fall asleep so nothing could come and kill them while I slept. My brothers and father eventually made sure one of them was always nearby to watch me watch my ducklings. I let myself fall asleep knowing my warrior father and brothers would chase predators away. Eventually, my brothers made me a pen to keep things out and away from my duckling so I could go inside the palace again."

"Did you?"

"No, but I did sleep inside the pen."

"Ah. They would not have learned to fly if they had no parent bird to show them."

Mellolaes sighed. "No, they never did. I tried my best by running and flapping my arms. They learned to flap in the air over short distances. Winter was especially hard on them though. They wanted to fly south with the other ducks, but couldn't. Somehow my family was able to get me an empty storage room and wooden tub that had been used for crushing fruit under foot. I filled it with warm water, dumped it, and cleaned it over and over. During the cold months, my family couldn't get me outside. I wouldn't even leave my "duck room" for long. We let my ducks out the next spring, all grown up. When the last of them died some years later, I wept in my mother's arms and told her I'd never love anything doomed to die again."

"When did you first break that promise?"

"When I found an abandoned kitten, about four months later."

Elrond clamped his jaw shut again, but this time to suppress a chuckle. He tried to distract himself from the urge by concentrating on what else Mellolaes was saying. "Every time I lay down where my cat could see me, he'd come sleep on my stomach. He was black with three white feet, a white nose, and a white star on his chest. I named him Eärendil."

Elrond stiffened as if he'd turned into wood. Mellolaes blinked. Her voice sounded as if she was speaking to herself.

"Oh, I forgot. My parents, brothers, and the king said not to tell Lord Elrond I named my kitten for his father. At the time I thought I'd never have the opportunity."

"When . . ." Elrond wheezed. "When did you first care for a manling?"

"Well, when I found my first kitten, my parents told me a human had abandoned him. I spent the first three years of my cat's life promising him I'd never let nasty men hurt him again. I told everyone I hated cruel humans. Then I found a lost manling in the woods."

Elrond began to take deeper breaths and felt his muscles relax as they moved away from the topic of Eärendil the cat. Mellolaes' own eyes deepened. Her smile grew sad as she continued.

"The boy had reddish brown hair, earth brown eyes, and chubby cheeks that had turned bright red from crying. I sat down next to him, wrapped an arm around his waist, and sang one of my mother's lullabies. He stopped crying, sniffed, sucked his thumb while he listened, and fell asleep. I carried him home like I had the duck eggs and the kitten, thinking my parents would let me keep him too, but my father and mother insisted we take him back to his family. I tried to argue with them. I thought his human family would teach him to be cruel like other humans, when I could teach him to be nice like an elf. My family insisted. I sulked all the way the way to their cottage. Then I met the family. The parents cried with joy when we gave them their little boy back, thanking us again nearly every moment we were there. I felt bad for wanting to keep him. He had five siblings. Three were near my size. I visited and played with them, until my mother began to keep me closer to home with a variety of tasks. When I finally got back to visit the human family again, the manlings were all twice my height, including the lost child I had found. They barely remembered me."

Elrond winced, but said nothing. The elleth continued. "I cried and promised I would never play with manlings again. A few years later, I heard many of the mortals nearby were sick. I went to check on my old friends. They'd been struck by the first of the great plagues I have witnessed."

Elrond's stomach clenched. He'd witnessed over one hundred true "plagues" sweep through communities of various races of free people, dwarves, men, even hobbits of Bree. Elven healers were of great help at such times, with their immunity, knowledge, and small need for rest. However, there were other ways an elf could grow weary and sick from something. Most young healers of Imladris who'd requested to be sent to aid communities stricken with such health emergencies, asked him to send another when he sought them out to aid in the next such emergency. Elrond listened even more carefully as Mellolaes continued.

"I couldn't just see them like that and go back home. I even found and cared for relatives they told me of, because being worried about them wasn't doing their own health any good. My kin might have tried to interfere except the queen herself supported and aided me. Most of the members of the family survived the plague, but it didn't seem to matter in the end. All of them were dead within a single century."

Elrond winced again. Mellolaes pretended not to notice. He noted that the Silvan had some tact after all. Unfortunately, he now needed to be tactless. The elven lord forced the words past his lips.

"How did your first encounter with man's mortality affect you?"

"I thought I should have listened to my immortal family and friends. I decided I would from then on until I heard of a human babe whose mother died giving birth to her. She was dying too. I made sure she didn't, not then anyway. I tended to the child until her father remarried. I remember thinking men were strange in their ability to suddenly grow new hearts to love another when they lost their first love. After I handed the child back to her father, I kept returning to look in on her from where I would not be seen by her, her father, new mother, and the siblings they gave her. When she died, a great-grandmother, I was certain that this time I would never let myself love another manling. And then another great plague came to their people. I think I didn't sleep for a month. When it was over, I was trying to find families for nine orphan manlings, mostly because my family and king once again said I couldn't keep them myself."

"You have a great heart, young one."

Mellolaes turned. She froze when she saw Lord Elrond was . . . smiling. She noted that though his dark eyes glinted with humor, they were also deep and soft. She returned his smile.

"Many have said that. Others have said I am impulsive and a slow learner. I suppose the latter _is _true. I am a Silvan after all."

She smirked. Elrond laid a hand on her shoulder as he turned to reenter his house. "Then my son is blessed by your Silvaness."

Mellolaes remained on the balcony blinking like an owl in the daylight. The stars had changed position before she did. But Elrond Half-Elven went to the westernmost balcony and looked toward the sea the rest of the night. He even whispered into a breeze blowing that direction.

_"You would approve of the young elf maid, Celebrian. You will laugh when I tell you how I feared hiring a Silvan for this important task and of the first days after her arrival. Until then, I will imagine how beautiful you will be when you do so." _

. . .

"Melly! Melly!"

Mellolaes looked up from her sewing. "I'm here, Estel!"

The manling raced up to the elleth beneath the tree. The boy stopped so suddenly he fell back upon his bottom, but he grinned up at his nurse. Mellolaes grinned back.

"How were your lessons today?"

"Good!" Estel took a gulp of air and continued. "Erstor says I'm intell . . . intelli . . . . in-tell-i-gent. Intelligent!"

"Estel!" The elleth exclaimed with bright, staring eyes. "That word was so big, I'm not sure I want to spend breath to say it. Good job!"

Estel laughed. "What does it mean, Melly?"

"It means very smart, which you are indeed."

"Oh!" Estel grinned wider. "One day I'm going to be as smart as Erestor!"

"That is quite intelligent."

Estel giggled. "You just used breath to say in-tell-i-gent Melly."

"Well, you made it seem easy. So I thought I'd try it."

Estel laughed again. Mellolaes leaned forward to rub noses with the manling, which made him giggle more. Then the elleth straightened and went back to her sewing.

"What else do you want to be when you're grown up?

"I'm going to be as strong as Glorfindel! And kill as many orcs as my brothers!"

"As many as both of them together?"

"Uh-huh, and be as good a healer as my Ada."

"He will be pleased by that."

"I know! He told me when I told him. And I'll be as good an archer as Legolas, and as Silvan as you!"

Mellolaes froze at his last pronouncement. Then she looked up at the manling. The elleth pressed one hand to her chest while the other gripped her needlework.

"You want to be as Silvan as me?"

"Course!" Estel cried.

Mellolaes' eyes spilled over. "Oh, Estel." The manling's own eyes widened at the sight of his nurse's tears.

"Don't cry, Melly, it's all right!"

Mellolaes flashed a bright smile as she answered. "I know it is Estel."

. . .

At some yards distance, five elves watched the moment between child and nurse. Their pointed ears overheard every word. The one with golden hair spoke first.

"Still think a Silvan cannot be a proper servant, my lord?"

Elrond's grin grew wider. "Perhaps not a _proper_ one, but she is certainly fit to the task she has."

One of the elven lord's twin sons turned to the other.

"What do you think about having a Silvan for a brother, brother?"

"I thought we already have one." Elladan turned to Elrond with furrowed brows. "Didn't we adopt Legolas, Adar?"

"Sometimes it seems so."

"What about you Erestor," Elladan turned his attention to the steward. "What do you think about your student being as Silvan as his nurse?"

"Valar preserve us."

**The End**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated and often responded to. They help me know what I did right, so I can do more of it and what I did wrong, so I can fix it.**

**Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story, especially to all my reviewers. **

**I want to give a special thanks to Thargelion who first encouraged me to continue this when it was a one-shot I'd just forgotten to mark as "finished." You literally made this story possible. :)**** Thanks to Teapot of transformation who thanked me for continuing this story, which encouraged me to keep continuing it. :)**** I want to send as many thank-yous Jesus' girl 4ever's way, as she has sent reviews my way, for this story and others. :)**** A thank you to Frodo's sister who also let me know she was enjoying this story and felt concern for when Estel would begin his sword training. :)**** Thanks to Nonahira who found Estel's nurse clever, and to MamaBirdCat and Gollum girl2003 Coraline who found this story cute. I was going for both of those things. :)**** Another thank you to loren 1415 who said Estel was adorable and reminded her of her nephew. I was thrilled to learn I'd written a character who reminded someone of a real person. :)**** So much thanks to Saphira for her long reviews. The only bad thing about receiving them is not being able to message back. :) A humongous thanks to Mirlasse for her long reviews as well. I love message chatting with you. :)**** Another thanks to new reviewer Aragorn-Lord, who kept encouraging me to update quickly. :)**** Finally, I want to give another big thank you to LaughingLadybug. I have truly loved reading your reviews for this and my other stories, as well as message chatting with you. :)**** All of you reviewers made posting and writing this story more than worthwhile. :)****  
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**The next chapter-story I plan to post will likely be the events that occurred between this story and its prequel "Why Estel Got a Nurse." That would make it their "midquel." I plan on entitling it "How Estel Got a Nurse." **

**If you liked this story you'll probably like its prequel too, though Mellolaes only gets a reference in the last line of it. The midquel will make more sense if you read the prequel. Also, in the midquel, you'll see (or read) a lot of Mellolaes. **

**And yes Saphira, the midquel has Legolas and Thranduil in it. Also, yes, I am purposefully being coy about the possibility of romance in Mellolaes' future. Be advised, I will probably be coy about it for some time. If you read the midquel though, you may find some hints. :)****  
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**Love to all! **

**God Bless**

** ScribeofHeroes**


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